


Wheelchair (or the Opening Job)

by hunters_retreat



Series: 10 Jobs (or how Eliot got Under Nate's Skin) [10]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Eliot and Nate are friends, Hurt Eliot, M/M, Nathan takes care of Eliot, They finally get it!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 16:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1435081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunters_retreat/pseuds/hunters_retreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  The wheelchair wasn’t that big a deal.  It was policy and he got that.  But sitting in that chair with his team watching, ready to help him in and out because he’d been hurt in a job?  He couldn’t do that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wheelchair (or the Opening Job)

  
He looked at the wheelchair and sighed.  “I am not getting in that thing.”

The nurse looked at him then over at Nate who smiled in a forbearing sort of way that made him want to grind his teeth.  “You guys want to give us a minute?” 

Sophie gave Eliot a hard look before transferring it to the back of Nate’s head.  Hardison just smiled.  “Sure man, do your thing.”  And he was dragging Parker and Sophie out.  There was a momentary twinge of regret which was unfamiliar to Eliot.  It was odd having teammates around him, having people who cared and who had come to visit him, to make sure that he wasn’t bored to tears.  Parker swore she wouldn’t tell anyone about their ongoing go-fish game and Hardison was doing his best to teach him rudimentary computer skills while he was down.  Said it was the least he could do since he’d given him basic self defense.  It was odd, but in a good way.  Which was frightening enough in its own right.  And then there was Nate. 

“Eliot, you have to get in the wheelchair to get out of here.”

“No.  I’m capable of walking on my own two feet and I will.”

“This isn’t really negotiable Eliot.”

“Yeah, it really is.”

Nate took a deep breath as if steeling himself and then he was moving across the room to stand in front of Eliot.  “Look, I know you don’t like this.  I know you don’t like to lean on anything or anyone, but sometimes you have to.”

Eliot clenched his fists because damn Nate for understanding what this was really about.  The wheelchair wasn’t that big a deal.  It was policy and he got that.  But sitting in that chair with his team watching, ready to help him in and out because he’d been hurt in a job?  He couldn’t do that.  It meant… something.  They meant something which meant it was all too much.  More than just friendship and hanging out when there was nothing else to do.  This was… family.  That was something Eliot had walked away from a long time ago. 

“No, I really don’t.” 

Nate took a step closer and Eliot backed up because he didn’t like the look in Nate’s eye but then he was against the wall.  Nate was there, pressed against him, his eyes scanning Eliot’s for something and he didn’t know if he’d found it or if it was enough that he hadn’t found anything else because then Nate was closing the distance and pressing their lips together. 

He was frozen in that moment, not sure what to say or do, but it was Nate and he felt Nate’s hands rubbing over his arm, warm and soothing.  As much as he’d been fighting it, as much as he didn’t want to be this vulnerable, he knew that it was too late.  He’d become vulnerable the moment he’d tried to make friends with Nathan Ford.  Nathan came with the whole shebang, the steady gigs, the do-gooding, and the people that would be a family.

He opened up then, opened up everything he was as he pulled Nate tighter against him, his tongue licking into Nate’s mouth as he tried to let the other man know that he finally understood, finally got why he’d been so closed at first, understood why they had been able to get through to one another when no one else had. 

When he felt Nate pull back, he closed his eyes and took a steady breath.

“Knew I’d get through to you eventually.”  Nate said softly.

“Yeah?  How’s that?”

“You got through to me.”

When he opened his eyes, Nate’s familiar smirk was in place and Eliot’s joined it.  “Now, let me help you get out of here.”

Eliot took a deep breath then sighed.  “Yeah.  Yeah I’m ready.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> for [](http://10-hurt-comfort.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://10-hurt-comfort.livejournal.com/)**10_hurt_comfort** challenge: wheelchair


End file.
